The 2018 Global Islamic Finance Award for the category Sustainable Development Goals has been awarded to the Islamic Reporting Initiative. The award was presented during the Global Islamic Finance Awards (GIFA) ceremony held in Sarajevo, in the presence of H.E. Mr Bakir Izetbegović, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Islamic Reporting Initiative (IRI) received the award in recognition of its work to strategically accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the Islamic Finance sector and beyond. Adopted by all 193 member states of the United Nations in 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
Dr Sofiza Azmi, Chief Executive of the Global Islamic Finance Awards, said: “In a very short period of time, the Islamic Reporting Initiative has built incredible momentum to bring together Muslims across all sectors and denominations to help realize the global paradigm shift that is required to achieve the ambitious goals as outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Its efforts in making the concept of sustainable development – and indeed the SDGs – culturally relevant and practical are to be highly commended.”
Mohamed Amersi, Chairman of the Islamic Reporting Initiative, said: “We are extremely honoured to receive this prestigious award in recognition of our efforts to promote the Sustainable Development Goals in the Muslim world. Islamic Finance is of course a natural leader in the field of values-based business, and we look forward to intensifying our partnerships with Islamic banks and financial institutions as we now step up our engagements with other sectors to mainstream this practice.”
Earlier this year, the Islamic Reporting Initiative initiated an academic research project to analyse and examine each of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals from an Islamic perspective. Referencing relevant scriptures from the Qur’an, the project is aimed at drawing the intrinsic connections between the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals and those which are inherent to Islam. The initial phase of the project is funded by the Al Jisr Foundation, a leading Zakat foundation based in Oman.
Sultan Al Busaidi, Managing Director of the Al Jisr Foundation, said: “Through its efforts to effectively advance the implementation of sustainable development in Muslim communities, the IRI has real potential to significantly accelerate the uptake of SDG initiatives on a global scale, not least by strengthening cross-cultural collaboration and promoting equal dialogue and education based on shared values. We are delighted to have received such great recognition for our progress in this regard and look forward to increasing our impact with every step.”
The 2018 Global Islamic Finance Award was received on behalf of the Islamic Reporting Initiative by Drs Daan Elffers, who founded the Islamic Reporting Initiative in 2015. The IRI is recognized as the world’s first reporting standard for corporate sustainability and social responsibility (CSR) based on Islamic values. Potentially relevant to nearly a quarter of the world’s population with custodianship for vast reserves of natural resources, the IRI is already working with partners in more than 50 countries and across all business sectors to effectively accelerate the uptake of sustainability and CSR in Islamic communities worldwide.
<ends>
Frequently searched link: Media Gallery Drs Daan Elffers founder of IRI
